I had a fabulous birthday. My boys were kind and thoughtful and generous to me, as they always are. I was impressed that Elijah remembered that it was my birthday the first thing in the morning, with no prompting. "Mom! Today is Monday! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" Awww. Once my fun day was done, I was left with the realization that I am one year older. Elijah keeps asking me, "Mom, you are 37 now?" Yes, sweetie, thanks for that constant reminder.

Dan and I usually don't make cakes for each other on our birthdays. Maybe that will change as the boys get older, but I am fine with it. I was especially fine with it this year since I had a freezer full of Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream to eat! This was my first time using my brand spankin' new ice cream maker, and I could not have begun my ice-cream-making hobby on a more delicious note.

I had a bag full of Bing cherries in the fridge, so it made perfect sense to try to copy one of my most favorite ice cream flavors of all time. I found the copycat recipe at Playing House, and immediately started churning. This tastes just like Ben & Jerry's version, and I'm not kidding. The only downside is that there are uncooked eggs in it, so substitute with egg beaters if this is a concern for you.

Start out by chopping a heaping 1/4 cup of fresh Bing cherries off of their pits. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate.

Place a heaping 1/4 cup of shaved dark chocolate in a separate small bowl, and refrigerate this, as well.

Add 2 large eggs to a medium mixing bowl.

Whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the eggs are light and fluffy.

Gradually add in 3/4 cup sugar. Whisk until blended and for 1 additional minute after that.

Add 2 cups of heavy whipping cream.

Add 1 cup of whole milk.

Whisk to blend.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the ice cream.

When ready, add the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions for churning. My approximate churning time for this recipe was 25 minutes.

Two minutes before the ice cream is finished churning, add the chocolate shavings and the chopped cherries.

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place it in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.

Serve it to an unsuspecting ice cream lover, and I promise they will not believe that neither Ben nor Jerry were involved.

Place the shaved chocolate and cherries in separate bowls. Refrigerate.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar until blended, and then for an additional minute. Add cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Place bowl in refrigerator until ready to make ice cream. Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions to churn ice cream. Approximate churning time: 25 minutes. Two minutes before ice cream is finished churning, add the chocolate shavings and cherries.

Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.